Changing Wyrds
by PenguinKye
Summary: The normal groups finds itself entangled with the troubles of another hanyou. This is old, and, I regret to say, fairly bad. I leave it up for the sake of looking on progress from the past to the present with an unflinching eye. InuKagOCOC. Complete.
1. On Your Own

Disclaimer: The only people here that I made up are Hashiaku and Kureru, and the rest belong to Takahashi Rumiko-san. Oh, the depression! Please do enjoy, minna!  
  
Changing Wyrds  
  
Chapter One: On Your Own  
  
  
  
Shippou scurried through the woods, small chest heaving. Every once in a while he shot a furtive glance behind him, to see if it was catching up. This was no Inuyasha, who would let him go with a few bruises. This was something different. It was big, it was mean, and as far as he could tell, it wanted him dead. Shippou dove into a thicket, hoping to trap the creature behind him. It crashed through the underbrush, tongue lolling and eyes wild. And then it stopped.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome lowered her hashi and glanced towards the hanyou.  
  
"Hai?" Mrs. Higurashi and Sota watched the two of them as though they were their favorite soap.  
  
"Do you think we should have left Shippou behind?" Kagome looked worriedly in the direction of the wellhouse.  
  
"Feh. We asked him to come, and he didn't." Miroku cleared his throat.  
  
"Of course, Inuyasha, that may have been because you were being mean to him before we left." Inuyasha didn't answer, but instead glared at the monk with a low growl.  
  
"It's just...Shippou isn't really used to being on his own. We met up with him just after his dad died, so he didn't get much experience even then. I know he runs off sometimes, but so do we all. We still can expect help from the others if trouble comes up. Shippou can't get through, though. We have the Shikon no Tama shards." Everyone mulled over this for a moment.  
  
"He'll be fine," decided Inuyasha. "The little brat's too fast to catch even if someone is after him."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Shippou stared at the youkai. Its breath was even, as was its stare. It was small for an inu-youkai, which made Shippou wonder if it would be a lapdog without its demonic powers.  
  
"You are a companion to the hanyou, the monk, and the Priestess, are you not?" Its voice was like a volcano erupting, albeit a very small volcano with a cold.  
  
"Nani?" The inu-youkai pounced before Shippou could move. His claws stabbed the earth by the kitsune's head.  
  
"You will tell me of them," the youkai growled threateningly, "or you will suffer." Shippou shuddered as one of his oppressor's claws slashed a line of burning pain across his cheek. He tried to scramble away, but he found that he couldn't move.  
  
"Inuyasha!" he cried, knowing his friends couldn't hear him. The inu- youkai took him in his mouth like a pup and dashed away.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Higurashis and their visitors had finished their meal and cleared it away, and it was time for their guests to go back to their own time. Kagome was more anxious to do so than her mother liked, but Mrs. Higurashi understood why, in this case, it might be a good idea. Miroku, too, had become a bit worried about Shippou, and was almost as ready to leave as Kagome. Inuyasha was not.  
  
"Why should we hurry to get back? It's probably night over there, we can't do anything useful." Kagome whirled round, sticking her finger in his face.  
  
"Don't be so selfish! Shippou is all alone over there, and you just want to hang around here? What do you want to stay for, anyway?" Inuyasha looked embarrassed and refused to answer.  
  
"Inuyasha-niichan said he'd let me see his sword," Sota piped in. Kagome turned to 'Inuyasha nii-chan', looking dangerous.  
  
"You want to let my little brother play around with a demonic weapon?!" she yelled. Inuyasha looked away, turning pink. "Baka! He'd kill himself!"  
  
"Hey!" interrupted an indignant Sota. Kagome ignored him.  
  
"Listen up, you!" she continued. "This is my world, and you're not gonna bring in any of the demon part from yours. And you're defiantly not giving Tetsusaiga to my little brother!" Inuyasha looked about to yell back, but Miroku intervened.  
  
"Come, come. Let us settle this calmly where we won't bother anyone. Goodnight, Higurashi-sama; Sota. Inuyasha, Kagome-sama; let's go." He and Kagome led a red-faced Inuyasha to the wellhouse.  
  
"Hey, stop complaining, Inuyasha! It's not like we'll never go back, ne?" Kagome climbed out of the well behind Inuyasha and Miroku. Neither answered. "What is it?" she asked, paling.  
  
"Shippou...isn't here," Miroku said. Kagome swallowed.  
  
"Are you sure he's not just wandering around nearby?" she pleaded. Inuyasha shook his head slowly.  
  
"He hasn't been here since soon after we left. He's no where near here now." The hanyou's ears drooped guiltily. "It is my fault, isn't it?" Kagome hit his shoulder briskly.  
  
"Enough with the guilt trip. Make up for it by helping us find him." He looked at her through slit eyes.  
  
"That could be a problem."  
  
"Why, exactly?" He chuckled, in the crazed way that people do when they're entirely hopeless.  
  
"There's no trail."  
  
"What?!" Kagome took a step back and Miroku looked up sharply. Inuyasha shook his head.  
  
"There's not a trail anywhere. The only scent is from a few hours ago, and it starts and ends right here."  
  
"Whatever happened," said Miroku softly, "someone didn't want us to follow."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Shippou woke up. He hadn't even realized he'd been unconscious up till now. He tried to look around without moving. His paws were tied together, hand and foot, and something that tasted like blood was stuffed in his mouth. The cut on his cheek ached fiercely. Wherever he was, it was dark, large, and smelled of dirt and stone. He tentatively moved one of his bound paws, setting off a sharp pain that nearly made him cry out.  
  
There was a breathy noise, and Shippou realized that he wasn't alone. The breathy noise was followed by scrapings and shufflings, and a small fire caught and grew. By its light Shippou could see a man-formed youkai. It looked like the inu-youkai that had captured him. In human form, he was still shorter than average, sharp-eyed, and crowned with a head of short but shaggy dirt-brown hair. His ears were mottled brown and black, and stuck out from the sides of his head.  
  
"You are awake, then, kitsune." It was not a question. "I suppose that means we can get busy." Shippou didn't agree at all, for what he had seen had told him that 'getting busy' would mean the worst for him. He shivered, trying to pull out of the tight ropes. The youkai grinned, then bent down and in one quick motion ripped the gag out of the young fox's mouth. Shippou gasped for air, stretching out his sore muscles, and the youkai laughed.  
  
"Don't get too comfortable, young one. We have buisiness, you and I." With that he lifted Shippou in one hand, dropping him onto what could have been a chair, though it was really no more than a pile of stones. Shippou winced at the pressure on his front paws, but he stolidly refused to make a noise. The inu-youkai flashed another sharp-toothed smile, baring his claws.  
  
"Shall we?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They were tired, dirty, and very worried. Even though it was night, and despite Miroku's sage advice, Kagome and Inuyasha had refused to stop the search. And this from the hanyou who had said they couldn't search at night. Honestly.  
  
He had been given no choice but to follow them. The trouble was, there was nothing to follow. They were still going in circles, even after hours of looking. Kagome was close to tears, and Inuyasha was growing angrier than Miroku had thought possible.  
  
Miroku himself was concerned, certainly, but he was also unimpulsive. Well, when women weren't involved. He realized that if they kept charging around the forest like this, they'd be more likely to attract unwanted attention than to do any real good. He'd tried to explain this to them several times, but they'd muttered things about the trail growing cold, and the value of friendship. What he wanted to know was, what trail? And what kind of friend gets herself killed before she's saved the other?  
  
One thing he had to say for them was that they were determined. Stupid, maybe, but determined nonetheless. However, that wasn't enough. Without sleep, they couldn't keep up the search.  
  
"Kagome-sama. Inuyasha. We need to rest. We'll never find Shippou like this." They turned to him, and he knew that this time, he was winning. Kagome's eyes glimmered in the thin moonlight that reached through the trees.  
  
"Then how will we find him, Miroku?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Shippou gritted his teeth as Hashiaku pulled back his arm to strike the smaller youkai. The kitsune had learned the inu-youkai's name four or five strikes ago. He had learned to hate it more quickly.  
  
"What are their weaknesses?" Hashiaku demanded. Shippou stayed silent, and the claws flew towards him. Even then, he didn't make a noise.  
  
"Tell me!" the inu-youkai demanded, pulling his hand away. "Tell me what you know of them, or you will die." Then he would die, Shippou thought grimly. He stared up into Hashiaku's face. There was something happening there. He'd been noticing it for a while now. Occasionally, the dark youkai's eyes would flicker with some indecision, as though he didn't know why he was standing here and doing this. Shippou wondered at it, but not deeply. He was rather too busy worrying about himself.  
  
Hashiaku looked back. For a moment, that confusion came into his expression, but it was gone long before it could be of any help to Shippou. He loomed over Shippou despite his small stature. His arm was raised again, this time in a fist.  
  
"Why won't you tell me, brat?" he cried, fist rushing towards his victim. And suddenly, the change was over his entire face. The fist stopped in mid-charge.  
  
"What have you done to me?" he whispered, looking at his bloody claws and then at Shippou. Shippou stared at him wide-eyed, pressing himself against the wall. Hashiaku- if this was Hashiaku- shuddered and closed his eyes. A moment later they snapped open again.  
  
"No," he begged someone, "get out of me! Stay out! Leave me alone!"  
  
He screamed, loud enough for the entire forest to hear. This was a battle between two beings. The good one was losing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Inuyasha's ears pricked up when the scream started, but he wasn't the only one who heard. Kagome sat up like she'd been bitten by a snake.  
  
"Who...?" she gasped. Miroku rolled over and stared in the direction of the terrible noise. The three of them looked at each other in horror.  
  
"Shippou!"  
  
_______________________________________________________  
  
Author's Notes: Hey, all! Hope ya liked. You can thank my podunk lifestyle for this fic. We had snow and some of the back roads were covered, so no school. Lucky!!! Here's a few notes for those of you who know no Nihongo.  
  
Hashi= chopsticks inu-youkai= dog demon  
  
youkai= demon hanyou= half demon  
  
nani= what kitsune= fox demon  
  
nii-chan= big bro sama= lord or lady 


	2. When You Need a Friend

Changing Wyrds  
  
Chapter 2: When You Need a Friend  
  
Inuyasha leapt ahead of the others, his ears so far forward on his head that Kagome was sure they would fall off. She ran to catch up, and he scooped her onto his back, never pausing. Miroku ran behind them.  
  
God, let us be there on time, Kagome prayed. Branches rushed past them and pebbles tumbled underfoot, and still the scream went on. Then, when it was so close that it seemed to have found its way into the depths of her mind, it was silenced. It didn't die out or trail away into nothing. It was extinguished, instantaneously, like someone had flicked a switch and turned it off. Kagome realized that she wasn't breathing, and neither was Inuyasha. He had stopped as dead as the sound.  
  
"I-inuyasha," she whispered. He flicked his ears back towards her. "We should keep going, ne?" He nodded, and they went forward again.  
  
If he hadn't been there to spot it, Kagome would never have seen the den's entrance. It was covered by grass and brush, and the moon shone away from it. He stepped towards it on soundless feet. She listened with all her might for any sound from the cave, fighting to see in the almost pitch black.  
  
There was laughter coming from within. Evil laughter. Cruel laughter. As they reached it, a voice said, "Oh dear. It seems he isn't strong enough to take me on after all." Inuyasha bared his sharp teeth, and before Kagome could stop him, burst into the cave.  
  
A dark eyed inu-youkai turned sharply.  
  
"Well, that's not what I wanted at all," he said. "I just wanted the kitsune to tell me about you, not for you to actually show up." The intruders looked into the corner the youkai had indicated, and Kagome gasped.  
  
"Shippou-chan!" she cried. The kitsune was pale and bloody. His jaws were clamped firmly together, and he was looking at her with an odd mix of relief and horror. Kagome slid off Inuyasha's back, and rushed towards him. As she neared him, the inu-youkai raised his claws.  
  
"Kagome!" shouted Inuyasha, drawing Tetsusaiga. He forced it between claws and girl just in time. The other demon had to look up to meet his eye.  
  
"Kagome-sama! Inuyasha!" Miroku appeared in the doorway. "Is Shippou all right?"  
  
"I'm fine," replied the one in question.  
  
"Save it!" ordered Inuyasha. "Get out, now!" Hashiaku's claws swiped at him and he leaped backwards. Kagome nodded, carrying the wounded Shippou as she fled.  
  
Hashiaku pulled a small knife from his boot and flung it after her. Inuyasha knocked it out of the air, striking at his opponant with reckless anger. A thin line of blood formed across Hashiaku's chest. He smiled smugly.  
  
"You can't hurt me," he said, and lashed out at Inuyasha with all ten claws. The hanyou ducked, swept his sword upwards. Hashiaku smiled through his grimace. His arm bled freely through a deep cut.  
  
"Go ahead! Kill me! Your enemy will still live!" he cried mirthfully. Inuyasha growled and, swinging Tetsusaiga, backed him against a wall. Hashiaku leaned his weight against it; the flying blade had done its job well, and blood leaked from his side, soaking his sleevless shirt.  
  
Then, completely unexpectedly, Inuyasha struck the younger youkai full across the face, and then in the gut, so hard that Hashiaku fell to the ground. Inuyasha pulled him up, holding the point of his sword at an angle against the enemy's lowest ribs.  
  
"I think this will teach him," Hashiaku said to himself. A shudder went through his body. He blinked, looking first down at the sword and then up at Inuyasha. Inuyasha's anger was apparent. The youkai paled.  
  
"What...what do you want? What did he do?" he said in a husky and childish whisper that was completely unlike anything else he had said.  
  
"Don't play games, you bastard. You were killing Shippou." Dark eyes filled with confusion.  
  
"What do you mean? That kitsune? I-" Inuyasha growled, bringing the sword an inch from breaking the skin. The captive cringed, gasping.  
  
"No, don't kill me! I haven't done anything! Please!" he begged.  
  
"What? So torturing a little kitsune is nothing?!" The fury in his voice was thick and dangerous.  
  
"I didn't do it!" Inuyasha hit him, and he flinched in pain and fear.  
  
"If you didn't, who did?" The small youkai shook as he answered.  
  
"Hashiaku." He winced away from the blow that was sure to come. It didn't. A girl had laid her hand on Inuyasha's arm, holding him back with a simple touch.  
  
"If you aren't Hashiaku, who are you?"  
  
"My name is Kureru." Inuyasha leaned towards him with a snarl.  
  
"So what happened to Hashiaku, hm?"  
  
"Inuyasha! Stop scaring him! Although I would like to know," she added, looking at Kureru. He swallowed hard. His heart was pounding in his ears. It did every time. Usually he wasn't hurt so badly, though.  
  
"He wasn't...really here. It was body control."  
  
"Oh, really? Isn't that convenient?" The girl shot the hanyou a look that shut him up immediatly.  
  
"I know how it sounds, but that's his power. Once you owe him something, you're his slave, and he can take you over. He can...can do whatever he needs to without putting himself at risk, and when he's done he just throws you aside. For a while, anyway." Kagome frowned.  
  
"You mean he's done this to you before?" Kureru laughed bitterly, wincing at the pain it caused.  
  
"Not before. More than I can remember. He decided kids might be nice, I guess, because he saved my life when I was little, and it's been his ever since." Inuyasha finally pulled his sword away.  
  
"Was it you that screamed? Trying to get out?" he demanded. Kureru nodded weakly.  
  
"Then we owe you our-" Kagome began.  
  
"Don't!" he commanded, startled. She looked at him in surprise. "I d- don't know how much control he has. He could own you too...if you say that."  
  
"But you can tell us about him?" Inuyasha said disbelievingly.  
  
"No," Kureru replied almost inaudibly. "I can't. He wanted...wanted you to know...about...him." He choked back a whimper and fell to the earth.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Don't look so surprised, Inuyasha. You beat him pretty badly." Miroku eyed the prone youkai with mild interest. He looked younger than Inuyasha, especially asleep. And wounded. Kagome had given temporary care to his wounds and Shippou's, but they planned to go to Kaede's village next for better treatments.  
  
"But he's a youkai! He shouldn't be this weak. It's pathetic." Inuyasha crossed his arms defiantly, daring anyone to argue. No one did.  
  
"Shippou, how are you doing?" Kagome changed the subject. The kit peered at Kureru warily.  
  
"I'm okay," he said. "But I don't like this guy, possessed or not. Just don't make us try to get along."  
  
Kagome raised her eyebrow in near amusement.  
  
"I wouldn't dream of it," promised Miroku.  
  
_______________________________________________________  
  
Author's notes: Sorry, no cliffhanger this time. That sort of annoys me, since I like cliffhangers an' all.^^ Oh, well. I don't really know exactly what's going to happen next. I'd be shocked if figured it out and wrote the whole thing in a day. @_@ 


	3. Hello, Neighbor

Changing Wyrds  
  
Chapter 3: Hello, Neighbor  
  
Kaede was not entirely surprised to see what the cat dragged in, so to speak. Kagome and company hadn't been to the village with injuries for a while, and she thought it was about time for them to show up looking mauled. She hadn't expected the mauled ones to be Shippou and a strange inu- youkai, perhaps, but it all made sense in the long run.  
  
Kagome had told her what happened while she had redressed Kureru's wounds. The story hadn't been particularly shocking either. In fact, the only thing that bothered her in any way was that Kureru wasn't healing like a proper youkai. Indeed, if Kaede thought about it enough, she might be brought to believe that this wasn't a proper youkai. But sneaking suspicions were never the best evidence, so Kaede decided to wait and see whether hers was right.  
  
It only took three days for her to find out whether it was.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
On the third day, Inuyasha was cranky, Kagome wanted to go home, and Miroku was trying to feel up the village women. Shippou was edgey around Kureru, despite the fact that the latter had been unconcious the whole time. Kaede was simply waiting. Luckily for her, she wouldn't have to wait much longer.  
  
Dusk found Kaede with Kureru, who had been worse that day than the two previous. She wiped the sweat off his face with a damp cloth, hoping that her reason was the right one. She turned to wring out the cloth, looking out the window as she did. The last of the sun was slipping beneath the trees. She checked the moon; it was halfway through its waxing cycle.  
  
A weak groan brought her attention back to Kureru. She smiled through her concern, for she could see now that she had been thinking correctly. His clenched hands bore no claws, and his ears were not tortoise-shelled, but human. Of course, he was in greater danger now, but at least she knew what was making him so weak.  
  
"Shh," she soothed the boy. Miroku had been right about his age. In human terms, he looked barely into his teens.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
His fever, which had been high but steady through the day, rose dangerously. The chilly night air only made it worse. At last Kaede decided to fetch Kagome. She had worked through the night before, but she didn't want to risk doing it alone. Standing quietly, she made her way to Kagome's room, where she carefully slid open the door.  
  
She found two people there. Kagome was sleeping peacefully on the floor, which was as it should have been. Inuyasha was there as well, however, leaning at a respectful distance against the opposite wall, sleeping as tranquilly as Kagome. She couldn't help smiling. These young things were sweet, weren't they? After a moment's thought, she slid the door shut and walked away.  
  
"Miroku-houji," she whispered a minute later. The monk sighed and turned over, oblivious. She poked him. "Miroku!" That got his attention. He sniffed, and opened his eyes.  
  
"Kaede-sama?" he asked blurrily.  
  
"Would you mind watching Kureru with me? He's getting worse." Miroku frowned.  
  
"Why would he...?" Kaede nudged him.  
  
"Come along and find out."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Oya maa," he whispered when he saw what Kaede had. "That's not good." She nodded. The boy was thrashing under the kimono, face screwed up in pain and fear. Without demonic powers, he was completely defensless against his injuries.  
  
"I do wish Inuyasha hadn't been so enthusiastic," said Kaede in exasperation.  
  
"Yes, well, he did have Shippou at heart. There's no way he could have known." Miroku looked down on Kureru with worry. "I wonder if Kagome- sama has anything for fever in that bag of hers."  
  
"I didn't want to disturb her..." Miroku shrugged.  
  
"Well, she'd probably rather be disturbed than have Kureru die," he suggested.  
  
"Fine. I'll get her. You watch him." Kaede rose, and walked to Kagome's room once more.  
  
It would have been an understatement to say that Inuyasha was surprised when Kaede woke him up. For one thing, surprised people do not, save in very rare cases, turn stop sign red.  
  
"K-kaede-baba!" he stuttered at her. Kaede smiled.  
  
"If you don't want her to know you were spending the night as her watchdog, you might want to go." He sent her a questioning look. "I didn't want to wake you, but Kureru's fever is worse. I need to ask Kagome if she has anything for it."  
  
"Those things won't work for youkai," he argued.  
  
"Good thing he's human tonight, then, isn't it?" Inuyasha looked stunned.  
  
"He's hanyou?" Kaede nodded.  
  
"Miroku's with him now, and I need to get back, so scoot. I won't tell." He nodded gratefully, slipping out the door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kagome did have something for fever. She went with Kaede to give it to Kureru, and was surprised to see that Miroku and Inuyasha were already there.  
  
"Yo," she said with distracted amusement. "I hear there's another hanyou among us." She stooped, holding a pill and water in one hand. Kureru had settled down for the time being, for which Kagome was thankful. She slipped her hand behind the boy's head and shoulder, easing him up. Then she carefully tucked the medicine into his mouth, and put the bottle against his pale lips. He swallowed automatically, and when she was certain the pill was down, Kagome laid him back against the floor.  
  
"That should help," she murmured. "It'll keep his fever down for tonight, anyway, and his sleep should be peaceful." She looked up to see Inuyasha watching her with fascination.  
  
"Thank you, Kagome. I suppose you could all go back to sleep now." Miroku shook his head.  
  
"I'll stay around in case something goes wrong." Kagome grinned.  
  
"I think you've more or less got it covered between you," she said. "I'm going to bed." She moved out the door, followed by Inuyasha.  
  
"Oi, Kagome?" he started. She turned to him. "How do you...I mean, I know you take care of us sometimes, but- well, I mean...you do it like a mother." She smiled. That was almost a compliment.  
  
"Sometimes I take care of Sota when he's sick. You pick up some things." She couldn't be sure, it was still so dark, but Kagome thought she saw a hint of red creep across his cheeks.  
  
"Oh," he answered robotically. "Of course." He started to leave. Kagome considered for a moment.  
  
"Inuyasha," she called. He turned. "You don't have to go. I kind of like having someone to watch over me."  
  
"Kaede-baba?" he asked cautiously. Kagome nodded. He was definitely red now. He gave a tiny smile, walking towards her hesitantly. She looked up at him, grinning at his endearing nervousness, and took his hand.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The sun rose at a good time. Miroku and Kaede had needed to dose Kureru again near the middle of the early morning, and both were exhausted. When they saw his ears grow soft and his fever go down, they couldn't have been more relieved. It hadn't been as bad with the medicine, but the hanyou was still dangerously ill, and they hadn't been certain he would make it through the night.  
  
Kagome came to relieve them of their duties soon after sunrise. Miroku couldn't help thinking she looked oddly cheerful. Kaede didn't look surprised at all.  
  
"How is he?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Much better than last night," Miroku answered.  
  
"Well, that's good." Squatting, she gauged Kureru's temperature from the feel of his forehead. "He really is better," she said with pleasure. "I think I can handle it, then. You two go to bed." They didn't argue.  
  
As Kaede passed, she whispered, "So where's Inuyasha, Kagome?" Kagome blushed, but only slightly.  
  
"He's still sleeping on the other wall, where he was all night. Nice and innocent."  
  
"All night, eh?" the old woman chuckled.  
  
"Kaede-san!" She wanted to sound angry. The problem was, she was too happy to try. 


	4. Dissension in the Ranks

Changing Wyrds  
  
Chapter Four: Dissension in the Ranks  
  
On the fifth day after they had arrived, Kureru's fever broke. He was weak, certainly, but he was better. Kaede had been pleased, but she was sensible as well. She had promptly banished the others from his room so that when he woke he wouldn't be overwhelmed.  
  
The young hanyou turned his head slightly. Kaede caught the movement in the edge of her vision and turned to him. His eyes were open and clear for the first time since Kaede had met him. They were the blue of a clear night in winter, and they were marred with uncertainty.  
  
"Calm down, my boy. Inuyasha and Kagome brought you here after your fight. You are safe." He looked back at her in silent observation. "They told me you are troubled by a youkai called Hashiaku. But what they meant is that he is your owner, ne?" His face clouded over, but he didn't deny it.  
  
"How long?" he asked scratchily.  
  
"You have been here for five days." He sighed hopelessly.  
  
"He'll kill me," he said mutely.  
  
"Don't get excited. You just woke from a five day fever. Which reminds me; how come it's taking you so long to heal? That is, besides the half moon." Kureru turned a sickly white.  
  
"How did you-?" Kaede patted his shoulder.  
  
"The moon was at half two nights ago." The exposed hanyou's shoulders sagged as he looked hopelessly at the floor.  
  
"If you already know that much about me, why do you need to ask any more?"  
  
"Because I need to know all I can if I am to bring you back to health." He shook his head.  
  
"Why would you want to do that? I'm a hanyou, and a slave. I can't be worth this much trouble?" The old woman smiled at him gently.  
  
"Inuyasha is hanyou too. If we can stand to have a rude, headstrong creature like him around, I can't see why we wouldn't keep you. Helping people in trouble is what we do best, and when you're well, that's what we will do. Now, do you know any reason why you should still be so weak?"  
  
"It's like this every time. I mean, after he leaves me, I'm weak for a while. It's just worse because..." he looked at the bandages around his arm and body.  
  
"Well, Hashiaku did make Inuyasha angry."  
  
"And Hashiaku wanted to punish me." Kaede studied him for a moment.  
  
"How old are you, Kureru?"  
  
"Fourteen," he answered. "Why?" She sighed.  
  
"Why do you all have to be so young?"  
  
"What?" She snorted.  
  
"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just an old lady feeling her age. You and the others seem too young to have to deal with these things, is all." She stood stiffly. "I'll get you water. Sit tight."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Come on, Shippou-chan. He just wants to apologize," urged Kagome. The kitsune shook his head violently.  
  
"That Hashiaku guy will come back, I know it. You should be careful around him." Kagome sighed, exasperated. She had been trying to convince Shippou of Kureru's good intentions for twenty minutes.  
  
"Kagome, he doesn't want to, and for good reason! That little bastard is dangerous, no matter how he acts." So Inuyasha was against her too. Didn't anyone see that they all needed to get along? A deep-rooted annoyance began to blossom in her.  
  
"Fine! Be jerks!" she cried, and stormed away.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I don't blame them," Kureru replied, absently scratching behind an ear. "The minute I let him get control, I make myself into the bad guy for at least one more person. Don't worry if they refuse to get near me. They wouldn't be the only ones." Kagome groaned.  
  
"What's wrong with all of you?! Inuyasha and Shippou are turning dog- defensive, and you're getting into self-sacrificing angst mode. Jeez, can't anyone stay normal around here?!" Kureru gave a weak smile.  
  
"Sorry. I'm still getting over Hashiaku's visit. Soon you won't have to worry about me being angsty."  
  
"Will I wish you were?" Kureru shrugged.  
  
"I dunno. You hang out with Inuyasha a lot, you can probably stand me." Kagome chuckled ruefully.  
  
"You don't know how often we argue, do you?"  
  
"I know how much you like each other." Kagome turned pink.  
  
"What are you talking about? I don't like that jerk at all."  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"Kureru!" He grinned wickedly.  
  
"I think I'm feeling better."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That night Kaede called a meeting. She called it several times, actually, because some of the people she called for refused to come until they had been 'osuwari'-ed and manhandled into the room. However, they were at last all assembled, Miroku and Kagome in front of Kaede, Kureru sitting to one side, and Inuyasha and Shippou grumbling in a corner.  
  
"We need to discuss what will happen when young Kureru here is healed," she began. Inuyasha interrupted immediatly.  
  
"What does it matter what happens to him? He can go back in the woods and die for all I care." Kureru looked uncomfortably at his hands. "What?" demanded Inuyasha. "Can't take a little honesty?"  
  
"Inuyasha! That's enough. Even if you don't care about Kureru, surely you can't justify letting him go on as Hashiaku's toy. Innocent people will be hurt. Helping people is our specialty, and helping Kureru will be good for more than him."  
  
"I can't travel with someone who might turn around and kill me," argued Shippou, fur rising along his tail.  
  
"Why don't we just kill the little bastard?" added Inuyasha.  
  
"What?" cried Kaede.  
  
"That's it! Would you two just SHUT UP?!" Kagome whirled on them. "Shippou-chan, I know what you mean, and I hate what happened to you, but the point is that if we kill Hashiaku, he won't be able to hurt anyone anymore. And even if Kureru did turn, look around! You've got Inuyasha-" she glared at him "-and me and Miroku. We could deal with it. Please, Shippou-chan, just listen!" The kitsune's eyes swelled with damp, accusing her.  
  
"You don't understand! You don't! I was trapped, and he-" he pointed at Kureru "-he was hurting me, and I didn't tell him anything, so you would be safe. And now you want to be best friends with him, and what he did to me and what I did for you don't mean anything! How can you expect me to do what you say when you don't even care what happens to me?!" Fading bruises made Shippou's face look even more palid than it was. Kagome looked down at him, rebuking herself for the whole thing.  
  
"Shippou-chan...I do care. I'm sorry." She hugged him before he could flinch away. "Look- you don't have to come if you don't want to, but I'm gonna try to help Kureru. Neither of you deserve this, and like Kaede said, it's kinda my job to help people, y'know?"  
  
"No it isn't," Inuyasha said. "Your job is to find the Shikon no Tama shards."  
  
"I'm going, Inuyasha."  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Stop!" They all turned to look at Kureru. "I know you hate me, Inuyasha-san, and I deserve it. But I can't stop hurting people if Hashiaku lives. There's no way I can kill him by myself; he'd stop me before I was out the door. I need you to help me." The older hanyou look unconvinced, so it was to everyone's surprise that he answered the way he did.  
  
"Fine. But once he's dead, you're on your own." Kureru looked amazed.  
  
"Really?" he asked. "Well. Thank you. Thank you!"  
  
"I'm coming, of course," said Miroku. Shippou bit his lip.  
  
"Me too." Kagome smiled.  
  
_______________________________________________________  
  
Author's notes: That didn't sound too forced, did it? I'm kinda better on the action-ish parts (I think), and at this point I was going through storyline boredom. Dun worry; I'm gonna finish, and I'm not putting months between uploading this time. (See my Slayers fic Fleeting Glory) So, yeah. R&R, please!!! ^^;; Kye is not very good with the sleep-getting lately. She's more with the typing-random-pieces-of-unsalable-schrapnel these days. So, please forgive her oddities. @__@ E, that looks like a frog, ne? 


	5. Teamwork Exercises

Sorry, no Sango in here. But I promise to have her in another fic. I dun really know enough about her to write her in. I've only read what's been translated so far (10 books), and my fansubs only go up to her introduction.-_-;;  
  
Changing Wyrds  
  
Part 5: Teamwork Excercises  
  
"Look," said Inuyasha, "I know I agreed to come along, but could we possibly take a ROAD??" Kagome looked around. She had to agree that they weren't taking the best possible route. Still, it had a certain one-with- nature feel to it. If you liked swamps. And mosquitos.  
  
"It's the only way!" Kureru snapped. He had been telling the truth when he said the gentleness was just tiredness. He was better now, and a match for even Inuyasha's bad temper.  
  
"Now, now," interceded Miroku, "we must strive to be at peace with one another. After all, we hope to defeat Hashiaku, do we not? I do not believe he would take us very seriously if we were to knock at his front door killing one another."  
  
"Feh," Inuyasha shot back. "I could kill him myself if I wanted to."  
  
"Does that mean you don't want to? I mean, it's great you're learning to share, but couldn't you save it for something nice?" Shippou ducked, anticipating Inuyasha's reaction.  
  
"Shut up, brat, or I'll share my fist with you!"  
  
"Osuwari!" Inuyasha collided with the semiliquid ground.  
  
"He went 'sploosh'," exclaimed Kureru brightly.  
  
"Yes he did," agreed Kagome. The hanyou detatched himself from the suctioning mud.  
  
"Why did I go 'sploosh', as you so kindly put it? Hm?" The fearsome effect of an angry Inuyasha was somewhat destroyed by the smelly mud that covered him ear to toe.  
  
"Is something wrong with your nose, Inuyasha?" bagered Shippou. "It's twitching funny."  
  
"I do believe Shippou is right," said Miroku, peering at the dog- boy's nose.  
  
"Well of COURSE it's twitching! Miss I'm-so-clever Kagome here osuwari-ed me into a frickin' swamp!" He swatted the mud off his face with one hand. Kagome giggled, and Inuyasha glowered.  
  
"Looks like your girlfriend likes the mud look," remarked Kureru. Kagome stopped laughing. Now, she loomed.  
  
"I...DO...NOT...LIKE...INU...YASHA!!!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!?" Kureru gulped.  
  
"Just kidding...Kagome-san." A serene smile returned to her face.  
  
"I hope so," she replied.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So how long have we been walking?" asked Shippou several hours later.  
  
"We aren't that far off. It's only a couple of days from here," answered Kureru grouchily. Inuyasha stopped dead.  
  
"A couple of DAYS?! And you somehow neglected to mention this before because...?" Kureru spun around.  
  
"Hey, don't you think you'd have heard of him if he only lived a few hours away, logic boy?" Inuyasha fumed.  
  
"Well, at least I would have MENTIONED it if-" Kureru held up a hand to stop him.  
  
"Listen," he said, patchy ears twitching forward. Inuyasha's own ears perked.  
  
"Youkai," he whispered. Kagome set an arrow in her bow, and Miroku put one hand to the rosary on the other.  
  
"You..possess shards of the jewel..." the voice of the youkai proclaimed. "I will...have them." Their enemy appeared suddenly, rushing over the roots of gangly tree and dead plants. It was horrible and snakelike, but it also had legs, hundreds of legs. It was the size of a school bus.  
  
"Che!" cursed Inuyasha "Why now?" He pulled forth Tetsusaiga, prepared to meet the youkai head on.  
  
"It has a shard already, Inuyasha! In its side!" She loosed her arrow towards the spot. "Great!" she cried. "Now aim about a foot to the right!" Inuyasha leapt forward to do just that. Suddenly, the snake youkai sprang forward, wrapping itself around him like a noose. Tetsusaiga fell to the ground.  
  
"Inuyasha!" cried Shippou.  
  
"Kuso! With him in there I can't open the void without sucking them both in!" Miroku swore. Kagome let another arrow fly. It struck the youkai's neck, but it simply shook the thing off. Inuyasha strained to free himself.  
  
Then they remembered there was another in their party. Drawing his sword and baring his teeth, Kureru jumped the youkai. Its bulbous eyes swiveled upwards as the sword came down between them. He struck with all his might, and for a moment, the youkai's grip loosened. In that moment, Inuyasha freed himself. He swept up his sword, found Kagome's arrow, striking exactly one foot from where it had landed. A tiny, glittering sliver fell out.  
  
The youkai screamed as it returned to its natural size of little more than a garter snake. Its legs shriveled away and its voice dissapated into a hiss. Inuyasha lifted his blade and skewered the reptile before it could escape.  
  
Kagome stooped to pick up the shard.  
  
"Well, that wasn't too bad. And we got a shard out of it too." She smiled. All but Inuyasha smiled back. "What's wrong, dog-breath?" she demanded.  
  
"Nothing!" he snapped.  
  
"Aa, you beat the thing. Just because you had a little help from Kureru doesn't-"  
  
"A little?! He would have been screwed without me!" Inuyasha's ears went flat.  
  
"Oh, really? You hardly even scraped the thing!" he shot back.  
  
"That's 'cause I was using the blunt edge of the sword, moron!"  
  
"EEEE! Would you stop arguing already?!" Kagome shrieked. "What's dead is dead. Yay team, okay? Enough of this 'I'm so much better' crap!" The two hanyou glared, but they were quiet. "Better," she remarked.  
  
_______________________________________________________  
  
Author's Notes: Well, that was short. I was going to do more, but it seemed like the next part would go better under the next chapter. It'll probably be damp and depressing, to forewarn you. (I'm depressed, so what I write most likely will be.) 


	6. Confiding in You

Changing Wyrds  
  
Chapter 6: Confiding in You  
  
Kagome and Kureru sat in the wake of the campfire, looking into the flames and the dark. The others had gone to sleep soon after camping, leaving the insomniacs to their starlit vigil.  
  
"It's going out," noted Kureru after a while. Kagome nodded off- handedly. Then she turned to him with sudden interest.  
  
"How'd you end up like this, Kureru-kun?" He shrugged.  
  
"I told you. He saved me." She sighed in exasperation.  
  
"And...?" He turned night-sea eyes on her.  
  
"You don't need to know. It's not your right."  
  
"We saved you too. I would take your story as payment. Do you really want to owe me as you do Hashiaku?"  
  
"You would take away your generosity to learn things that are not yours to know?" He was disgusted, and unpleasantly shocked.  
  
"I would. Tell me." He sighed, knowing that she would never let him say no.  
  
"Very well. But do not ever tell anyone of this tale. It is mine, and I covet it as much as I despise it.  
  
"I was young, very young, when Hashiaku took my life. My parents...my father was mortal, and my mother youkai. My father cared for me, because my mother was wild and refused to settle down to tend to her bastard son. I was bitter to be hated, bitter to be alive at all.  
  
"My father did his best, but he couldn't stop me from becoming a terror- not the terror that all young children are, but a true terror. I hunted people down just to smell their fear and hear them scream. I never killed; it was all in the hunt. Their deaths would have held no meaning for me. I guess it was the only way I could prove that I could do something right, that I was real, that the whole world wasn't just an eternal nightmare. Of course, I had a soul that told me afterwards what a horrible thing I had done. That- my conscience- only made it worse.  
  
"One day when I was about eight, taunted by human children in the village, I couldn't restrain myself. In a rage, I attacked the jeering leader, not thinking, simply fighting. He was terrified by my sudden and ferocious attack. I was smaller than they were, and he never expected that I would dare attack him. He didn't know that I was the demon that had been hunting the villagers for the past few years.  
  
"He started off putting up a good fight, but my anger and hurt withstood anything he could fling at me. Besides that-" Kureru raised his claws. "-I was at a slight advantage."  
  
"I hadn't even realized that it was over- really, truly over- until one of his friends began to scream. I looked at his bloody face, realized slowly that his eyes were directed at the sun, and he wasn't blinking.  
  
"I remember stepping back, one step and then another, until at last I stumbled on a stone jutting out from the road. I fell there, hardly breathing and seeing as little as the boy I had killed, and I didn't move until one of the village men dragged me up by my ears.  
  
"They took me to the center of the village, a mob of them, crying out for blood. My father sobbed and begged them to spare me. They shunned him, saying that a man disgusting enough to have a child by a demon deserved no place in the village's decisions. The elder of the village, and old, pear- like man, gave them leave to do as they would to me. It was his grandson who had died by my claws.  
  
"They were ruthless in their vengeance, more ruthless than I had been. The pain was so great that I soon couldn't see clearly. I knew, in a vague way, that they would kill me, but not yet. It would be long hours before I stopped breathing. They had lashed me to a tree, rendering me vulnerable to anything they wanted to do, when he came. The elder's son, and the boy's father, had drawn a knife. He held its claw-sharp point against my jolting heart. He was so angry he was beyond crying. His eyes were dry as the desert, and that scared me worse than tears would have done.  
  
"'You little bastard,' he said. 'A freak like you never should have been allowed to live.' And then..."  
  
Kagome tasted iron in her mouth, and realized she had bit her lip to bleeding. She found herself entranced, horribly, by the hanyou's story. Kureru drew a deep breath.  
  
"And then, he fell to the ground. A pool of blood blossomed beneath him, soaking my bare feet. The villagers had stopped jeering, and were standing like statues, staring at the place where he had fallen. We all stared, for a moment or a year, hearts stopped in their tracks and breathing long forgotten.  
  
"A youkai appeared in front of us, tall and beautiful. He smiled at them, and they shrank back in fear.  
  
"'You will leave the young hanyou to me,' he said. 'Go.' I had never seen them run more quickly. He turned to me then, running a finger along my swollen cheek. 'You are safe from them now,' he told me. With a single swipe of his claws, the ropes around my arms broke free. I fell forward, and the youkai caught me under one arm.  
  
"'I am Hashiaku,' he said. 'Learn the name well, for you now belong to me.' I hardly heard him. The next day, though, and every day after that, I wished that I had been left to die. Hashiaku may have stopped my death, but he destroyed my life. There are many tales to be told of those days, but if you wish to hear those stories, you must save my life a hundred times over." Kureru's voice dropped out abruptly. Kagome stared at him mutely. She looked closely, and saw that his cheeks glistened in the dying firelight.  
  
"I apologize," she said softly. "I should not have asked you to tell me that. It was not my right, as you said."  
  
"Don't bother," he answered. "Sleep, Kagome. Tomorrow will be long."  
  
_______________________________________________________  
  
Author's Notes: I know, I know--not a very satisfactory ending. But I can't be perfect (All my teachers: 'You're telling me!'). BTW, Wyrds means destinies, but the way it would have been pronounced would have been sort of like words. Just so you know...-_-;; REVIEW! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!! I need reviews to continue. *sniff* I'm so depressed that no one will read...don't you DARE read w/out reviewing! 


	7. Loneliness

These thank-yous are a long time coming, but better late than never, ne?  
  
usagipegasus: thanks so much! I didn't get many reviews at first and you really made my day.  
  
Demon-Wolf: YOU DON'T LIKE CLIFFS?! Wait...I don't really either...Anyway, thanks for reading. And...six MOREs in a row really ups my self-esteem^^ (all my school counselors cheer *shudder*) Thanks for all the reviews!!  
  
Emmi-chan: So glad you liked the beginning! Please keep reading!  
  
Waku-chan: *grin* Nothing...much...happened. (I can just see Inu-chan and Kagome killing someone for saying that...) and you reviewed twice! My favorite kind!  
  
kaerra: I have a decent PLOT?? I don't even know what's happening... I'm sorry about not putting sango in, but I promise to add her in another fic. ^^  
  
LilFoxgirl: ^-^ Thanks a bunch! I was made happy when I saw Chaos at Camp was added to. Can't wait for more of You Make Me Retch!  
  
Lady Pyro: I'd already written up to chapter 10 when I got your review, so the paragraph thing still might be there. But after that, I think it's not a problem. If it is, feel free to tell me. *shakes head* it's true, hanyou- tachi are not well treated. An ear rub? Hm. I like that idea... 'o kureru- kun...'  
  
  
  
Changing Wyrds  
  
Chapter 7: Loneliness  
  
Miroku was the first to notice how uncomfortable Kagome was the next morning, but he chose not to comment. If she wanted to tell them what was wrong, she would, he decided. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what had happened to make her brood so. There were none of the usual spats between herself and Inuyasha, and it dawned on him that Kureru wasn't bating the other hanyou either.  
  
Only Shippou was there to make life interesting, and he did, complaining about everything from the mosquitos to mean Inuyasha. 'Mean Inuyasha' gave him the occasional whap on the side of the head, which only set the kitsune off again.  
  
The day passed quickly but quietly. By the end of it they were not in a swamp, but instead in an open wood. The space between trees was large, enough so that they could camp within a circle of them. Dinner was as silent an affair as the entire day had been, and by this time it could not escape the notice of Shippou and Inuyasha. Still no one said a word on the subject. The evening was tense with forced politeness.  
  
Inuyasha made the mistake of asking Kagome what had happened sometime after dinner.  
  
"Hoi, Kagome..." he started, "did that little dog try to do something to you?" She startled, head jolting up in disbelief.  
  
"You aren't suggesting...? Kureru's just a kid. He'd never do anything like that! How could you even- No, I don't even want to know what goes through your mind sometimes." He bristled.  
  
"Well, excuse me for wanting to look out for you. Sorry I thought you meant it when you said you liked having someone to guard you. Sorry I'm just a stupid hentai like that monk!" Kagome snorted.  
  
"Don't you get all high and mighty on me just because I don't depend on you to keep me safe from anything that might turn up! And there's no reason to be so sensitive," she shot back, sounding meaner than she had intended.  
  
"Well, I'm happy to see that I'm no good as a protector either. Too bad you didn't tell me that before you got me started on a stupid goosechase to find that damn jewel!" She whirled on him.  
  
"Oh, so it was my decision to go rambling over the countryside looking for a rock? Excuse me, but I don't recall ever wanting to become a souless monster." Any remorse she had dissipated. "I didn't ask to be here, to see people die and travel with others who only think of themselves. I wanted to be normal, to get into a good highschool and get a nice boyfriend and have time to hang around with my friends. I didn't want to be here, in the middle of nowhere, arguing about nothing with someone...some creature...that, according to my would-be nice, normal world, doesn't exist." Inuyasha's heart stopped cold. He stared at her, disbelieving and frozen.  
  
Kagome's heart hammered, more than making up the distance for Inuyasha's. She realized with sudden sickness what she had said. Half of her was begging the other half to tell him that she hadn't meant it that way, but the other half was still too angry to obey.  
  
Inuyasha blinked fiercely, and she saw with horror that she had managed to make two hanyou cry in less than a day.  
  
"Fine," he said shortly. He just barely hid the tremble in his voice. "If that's what you want, you find the jewel. With the others, and that Kureru kid. I'll be careful not to bother any of you. If you see me, don't worry. I can't possibly exist." He fled, running soundlessly through trees and brush.  
  
"Inuyasha..." Kagome bit her lip, still for a moment before she burst into tears.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He didn't come back that night.  
  
"Where is that fool?" wondered Miroku in the dark hours of the morning. "We'll be at Hashiaku's domain at midday tomorrow. This is no time to be wandering around...Kagome?"  
  
"Yes?" she managed.  
  
"Do you know where Inuyasha is?"  
  
"I don't know." Shippou cuddled up to her.  
  
"Was that jerk being mean to you again?" he asked protectively. She started to cry. The three men-folk looked rather helplessly at her.  
  
"What did he do?" asked Kureru, wide-eyed. Kagome shook her head vehemently.  
  
"He didn't. I did. I was so mean...and then he thought I meant something else, and...and it's all my fault!" she sobbed. Miroku cleared his throat.  
  
"What happened?" he asked cautiously.  
  
"He was worried...about me. He thought Kureru had done something to me, and I got mad that he would say that, and he got upset. And I know he yells when he's hurt, only I ignored it and I yelled back, and then I said something wrong and he ran off." They gave her a questioning glance. "He thought...I said he was a creature that shouldn't exist." They waited for her to continue, and were surprised to discover that she was finished. She couldn't have just left it like that...? "I know!" she cried. "I wanted to explain, but I was still so angry, and I didn't say it quick enough..." She gave a short snuffle. Kureru stood, looking down at her.  
  
"He'll come back. If it hurt him that bad, he really cares. He won't be able to stay away from you for long."  
  
"You better hope you're right, Kureru. After all, you won't be able to protect them." Kureru's head shot up.  
  
"Hashiaku!" The youkai laughed, moving into their line of sight.  
  
"You didn't think you would ruin my beautiful landscapes with a fight, did you? Guests, especially uninvited ones, should not be so rude." His hand shot forward, gripping the hanyou's neck. "Frightened of me, Kureru? But we've been together for so long... I'm disappointed." Kureru gasped as Hashiaku's claws drew blood from his throat. "Let's see how they fight against you without the hanyou bastard."  
  
"No! Leave them out of it!"  
  
"Can't be done. Please don't feel too bad." He clamped his eyes shut, an aura forming around him. Kureru stared at the others hopelessly. Then he wasn't Kureru any more.  
  
"Well," said Kureru's mouth as he dropped from the youkai's grasp, "this ought to be a nice challenge."  
  
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Author's Notes: Was this any good at all? I haven't actually read it yet. -_-;; I AM working on Fleeting Glory part 4. Sorry it's taking me so long; I'm in the middle of a lot of stuff, and I'm not quite sure what's going to happen yet. Well, next time, ne? R&R!!! Onegaiiiiiiiiiiiii!! ::o__o:: 


	8. Helping Hands

Changing Wyrds  
  
Chapter 8: Helping Hands  
  
Hashiaku-Kureru stepped towards the company, eyeing them like candy.  
  
"I know it's been said before, by other evils, but it holds true for me, so: Which of you would like to die first?" Miroku raised his staff, pushing himself in front of Kagome.  
  
"Miroku, what are you doing?" she cried. The youkai laughed.  
  
"Never fear, I wasn't thinking of him. He's just a nuisance. You, on the other hand, are trouble. You are Inuyasha's eyes for finding the Shikon no Tama. You are the markswoman who has caused many youkai's demise. Indeed, you are trouble. You should know that I don't like trouble." He grinned at her, and she shuddered. The last grin she had seen from those lips had been mischievous and teasing, not cruel and heartless as this was. She gasped as she realized that Kureru's claws were slicing the air, rapidly shortening the distance between them and herself. And Miroku...  
  
The young monk dropped without a sound, holding his head for a moment before losing consciousness entirely.  
  
"M-miroku!" Shippou cried in dismay. "Oh, hells! Where's Inuyasha?!" The kitsune crouched at Miroku's head, looking wildly about. Hashiaku snickered.  
  
"That hanyou is too much a coward to face a little girl-" he pointed to Kagome "-much less me. You shouldn't wait up for him." His claws whistled in through the as they sped towards her.  
  
"INUYASHAAA--!" she screamed, flinging up her arms. Hashiaku cried out, following it with a curse.  
  
"You showed up, did you? Worthless dog, how dare you stop me?!" Kagome stared in grateful amazement. Inuyasha stood before her, glaring evenly at Hashiaku.  
  
"If you hate inu-hanyou so much, maybe you should let Kureru go free."  
  
"Not likely. I'd much rather battle through trash like him than endanger my own body." Inuyasha's mouth twitched into a skewed smile.  
  
"And you call him trash?"  
  
"Yes; he is. He is the offspring of a revolting union. Mortal and youkai should not coexist in one being. It is wrong and disgusting." Inuyasha drew his sword.  
  
"You want to see wrong and disgusting, look in a lake." The sword swung down, slicing only the air. Hashiaku smiled.  
  
"You don't think I was trying last time, do you? If he was that weak I wouldn't use him at all. No, I wanted to punish him then. This time I will battle truly." Inuyasha growled, leaping forward and pulling his blade in an upward arc. Hashiaku twisted off to the side and unsheathed his claws. They shone like silver in the whispered light of a swollen moon. Inuyasha clenched his teeth in surprise, staring only for a moment at his torn sleeve. Then, getting ahold of himself, he plunged his claws into the growing stream of blood.  
  
"SAN KON TETSU!" he shouted, flinging the blood-made daggers at Hashiaku. He dodged them all but for one, and he wiped away at the blood on his face as though it were a mere inconvenience.  
  
"Matte, Inuyasha!" came Kagome's shrill cry. "Don't forget Kureru!" The hanyou stopped cold, long enough for Hashiaku to launch an attack of his own. Kureru's small and wiry body was unexpectedly strong. Hashiaku struck him, and Inuyasha was tossed to the ground like a sack of rice. He pressed his hand hard against his heavily bleeding stomach and struggled towards his feet. Halfway up, though, Hashiaku kicked in the back of one knee, sending him crashing to earth.  
  
Shippou let out a startling growl, and set on Hashiaku with tiny teeth and claws. He was flung aside in an instant.  
  
"Shippou!" Inuyasha fought his way up, watching his enemy closely. "You tell me some way to win without killing Kureru, Kagome, and I'll try. But I don't see..."  
  
"Try his real body, Inuyasha!" She called, scooping up a dazed Shippou. Obedient to her advice, Inuyasha swung at the prostrate figure with all his might. When he got within a foot of it, though, a deep scarlet light appeared around it like a bloodstain. The aura's power forced him back, leaving Hashiaku's body unscathed.  
  
"And your other plan...?" he demanded, only a small bit sarcastic. She shook her head hopelessly.  
  
"I don't know!" He shot her a look of exasperation before turning his attention back to Hashiaku. The youkai was smirking, sword drawn and claws bared.  
  
"There's no way to win," he said smugly. "Without Kureru's death, you can't even defeat part of me." He jumped Inuyasha with no warning, sending the hanyou into a frantic fumble for his sword. The latter blocked it, though barely, and managed to push Hashiaku against a tree.  
  
"We've lived this long without killing anyone we didn't want to," he said. "Don't talk about what you don't know."  
  
"What a coincidence," Hashiaku returned with a genial smile. "I haven't ever lost at all." He returned the weight onto Inuyasha, knocking the breath out of him and sending him sprawling. Before Inuyasha could react at all, Hashiaku drove his swordpoint an inch into his opponent's shoulder, pulling it across the length of the his collarbone.  
  
Inuyasha paled. Before, he had been holding his own, but even in youkai form, this kind injury was nearly incapacitating. He scooted stiffly away from Hashiaku's sword, climbing to his feet more than jumping to them. The youkai watched him without blinking, sword ready to take out another patch of the inu-hanyou's fur. With a sudden burst of speed, he swept the blade across Inuyasha's unguarded legs, making his opponent struggle to remain standing.  
  
It was then that Kagome released her arrow. Abruptly Hashiaku spun round, staring at the aura that surrounded his real body. It danced and swayed like a candle in wind, twisting and ducking in a tortuous pattern of agony.  
  
"So then I have lost," he mused, his tone belying the shock in his- Kureru's- eyes. Kagome took aim again, but she was too late. Even as she raised the bow, Hashiaku fled to his own body. The aura grew strong again as the light returned to his eyes. Kureru, back in his own body, gave the forest only a quick scan before dropping to the ground with a thud. Hashiaku tossed his short black braid over one shoulder, keen eyes glowing slightly, and looked to where Kureru lay. Then he was there, snatching up the hanyou and tucking him under one arm. Kagome pulled back at the string, an inch from releasing the arrow.  
  
"Let him go!" The youkai chuckled.  
  
"I'd stop trying. After all, you have more than me to worry about. I'd save my friends before taking their revenge if I were you." He glanced around the clearing. Kagome realised with a sinking feeling that she was the only one concious among them.  
  
"Good luck, dear girl; we shall have another encounter. And don't bother coming to me; I will make it clear when I want to fight again." With that, the youkai disappeared into the trees.  
  
Kagome sat down with a thump. Here she was, with three other people to take care of, and she didn't have the slightest idea how she would do it.  
  
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Author's note: Poor Kagome. ;_; My background music today is the LOTR soundtrack. V. good for this kind of thing. Esp. Flight to the Ford. Please, I'm *begging* you to review!!! Moremoremoremoremore!! 


	9. All That Matters is Each Other

Changing Wyrds  
  
Chapter Nine: All That Matters is Each Other  
  
"Miroku, wake up," she shook his shoulder. He spoke before he moved.  
  
"Kagome-sama, do you have any of those pills with you?" She smiled.  
  
"Aspirin, you mean?"  
  
"That's it." He opened his eyes, and sat up stiffly, grimacing as he did so. "Did we win?" Consternation filled her face.  
  
"Sort of. Shippou and Inuyasha are out, and Hashiaku took Kureru."  
  
"Some win, ne?" She grinned helplessly.  
  
"You're telling me. How bad are you?"  
  
"Not too bad. Just knocked me out. I would like some of that aspirin, though," he added. Kagome dug through the bag at her side, pulling out a bottle of medicine and a bottle of water. She twisted both caps open.  
  
"Just swallow two of these with water. You know the drill." He nodded, taking the things from her. Kagome crawled the few feet to Shippou.  
  
"Daijobu desu ka, Shippou-chan[1]," asked Kagome. He scrunched his eyes at her.  
  
"I'm okay."  
  
"Good. Need anything?" He shook his head. "All right. See that Miroku doesn't overdose on the aspirin then, please." She turned away to attend to Inuyasha. She wasn't so sure that a shake and a pill could fix him up, but she tried anyway.  
  
"Inuyasha?" A hand on his forehead: it was too warm. "Inuyasha, can you hear me?" He stirred listlessly. "Miroku, toss me that water, will you?" The monk obeyed, concern on his face.  
  
"Is he okay?" Kagome shook her head, pouring water on a washcloth she had extricated from her bag.  
  
"I don't know. He's not waking up." She dabbed the cloth against Inuyasha's face, which was contradictorily both very pale and very hot. He growled softly and she pulled away. "Inuyasha?" she asked hopefully. There was no response. Kagome sighed.  
  
"Shippou, would you hold this for me?" she held up the cloth. The kitsune reached up and took it in quickly dampening paws. Kagome went on another search through her bag and soon emerged with a sealed plastic bag.  
  
"What's that?" asked Miroku.  
  
"Bandages," she replied, pulling forth a bottle of antiseptic. "He got pretty messed up." It then occured to Miroku that something was off.  
  
"Where's Kureru?" he asked suddenly. Kagome's already serious face grew more so.  
  
"Hashiaku carried him off."  
  
"...oh."  
  
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A/N: AAAAAAAAAAAAA!! excuse me. I dropped a paring knife on my toe earlier. Didn't seem like it was bleeding, so I went back to writing. Guess I was wrong; my sock is soaked. Wondered why my foot was feeling so warm. -_-;; think I'll finish this *after* cleaning up the icky toe...  
  
__________________________________________________________________  
  
Kagome tried to remember where Inuyasha had been struck. She nudged his shirt [2] aside, frowing at the blood beneath. It covered his stomach and formed a pool over his deeply scored collarbone. She wished she knew how to give stitches when she saw that wound. She took the cloth back from Shippou, soaking it in water and then in blood. She wrang it out when it was red enough that she couldn't tell whether any new blood was being soaked up. Then, with help from Miroku, she wrapped a long bandage around him, securing it snugly with two small metal clips.  
  
/With my luck he'll wake up just as I'm leaning over him/ she thought. She couldn't decide whether that would be a bad thing or not. /At least he would be awake that way./ She sat back on her heels.  
  
"Am I forgetting something, Shippou?"  
  
"His arm. His arm was sliced." She nodded, pulling down the neatly ripped sleeve. She bound it quickly and stood up.  
  
"I think that was all, right?"  
  
"As far as I know." She nodded again.  
  
"This is only temporary, though. We need to get him back to Kaede's village."  
  
"And then get Kureru," Kagome was surprised to hear Shippou add.  
  
"You mean you want to?" Shippou nodded.  
  
"He tried. He really did. And it's not his fault he's trapped under Hashiaku."  
  
"Not all his fault, anyway," Kagome murmured.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Nothing," she said absently. "Miroku, are you well enough to--" Miroku stilled her fears by lifting Inuyasha carefully onto his back.  
  
"If it turns out he's been eating more than I think and his weight's too much for me, we can probably both carry him."  
  
"Good. We should get out of here. We can rest when we're some hours from Hashiaku's domain." Miroku nodded. They had work to do, and none of it could be done if they were dead.  
  
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Author's Notes: That was...short. But, y'know, that's how it goes. Still using LOTR for background music. LOOOOOOOVE it. ^^ want it to be december again... Here comes the two towers! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW I don't even care if they suck and/or are flames. Just...don't...leave...without...reviewing....  
  
[1] No, there's not supposed to be a question mark there.  
  
[2] What is that thing called anyway?? 


	10. Please Don't Leave Me

Changing Wyrds  
  
Chapter 10: Please Don't Leave Me  
  
Perhaps it had been a while between visits the last time, but two sets of injuries in a fortnight was rather a lot. And to top it off, they had lost Kureru. After all the work she had done to save him. Well, they had better find him again, was all she could say about it. There was no reason to go around losing people recently nursed to health into the hands of health hazards. She, for one, wasn't going to stand for it. And as soon as Inuyasha was on his feet, she would say as much. Of course, the feet part wouldn't take so long if Kagome had remembered that Hashiaku had attacked his legs.  
  
"Kaede-san?" She turned to the door. Kagome stood there, dark hair falling untidily over one shoulder.  
  
"Yes, Kagome?"  
  
"I brought you supper. That is, unless...do you want me to take over here?" Kaede smiled, knowing full well that a smile from her old face wasn't entirely reassuring.  
  
"I'll take your offer and eat with the others," she said, standing creakily. "I don't think he'll be much trouble." Kagome sat down with the small tray and wished her a good meal. Of course he wouldn't be much trouble. Around Kaede. That was Kaede's good luck. Kagome knew, though, that if anyone could get stuck with an angry waking Inuyasha, it was her.  
  
To match her thoughts, he woke just as she began to eat. Sitting up abruptly, he announced:  
  
"Bastard!" She dropped her hashi in her soup bowl.  
  
"Inuyasha! He's gone. You're at Kaede's." He turned to her curiously, as though her being there was more surprising than his.  
  
"We lost, then."  
  
"No, we tied."  
  
"How many of us were hurt or captured versus how many of him?"  
  
"Well...Kureru, Miroku, Shippou, you...he was all right."  
  
"That's losing." She lost patience.  
  
"Who cares? It's not over, anyway, and no one is dead. There's nothing that can't be changed by the end of the war."  
  
"Why are you talking about the end of the war? You don't want any of it, from what I remember." It dawned on Kagome that while he had saved her, he hadn't in any way declared his feelings unhurt. Unfortunately , guilt doesn't always come out kindly.  
  
"Are you still moping?" she snapped. "'Cause I've had enough of it. I didn't mean to say what I did, and if you would for once shut up and let me finish a sentence, you would know that. As it is, I'm getting really sick of hearing about your poor little feelings." She was gearing up for a good rant. Just as soon as he answered, she'd have her ammo. As soon as he....answered...?  
  
But no. He wouldn't make it easy to turn him into the bad guy this time. He leaned against the wall, his silence making Kagome exceedingly nervous. How could he get all sensitive now, the first time she'd said the thing that would push the other over the edge? She hoped he wouldn't take her place entirely and start crying. Remorse began to overwhelm anger. Her breath paused while she summoned her courage.  
  
"I'm sorry. I really, really didn't mean what you thought I-- no, what I said. I was overreacting to something you didn't mean to do. When all you were doing was being protective. I'm so sorry."  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I can't move." There was a pause.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I. Can't. Move." Kagome's heart raced.  
  
"That can't be right. I mean, Kaede said you'd be fine in a few days. She didn't see anything abnormal about your injuries."  
  
"Kagome. If I could move, I would have. Before you started yelling."  
  
"You mean you won't accept my apology?" Her vision flickered.  
  
"Don't cry, girl! I do accept it. I just-"  
  
"You do? That's a first."  
  
"Kagome, forget that! I can't fricking move! Find Kaede, won't you?"  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"This isn't good."  
  
"You're telling me?!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He shivered, and someone laughed. It was a cold laugh, as cold as the dirt beneath him.  
  
"Kureru, it's so nice to see you awake." He opened his eyes and what small light was present blinded him. Slowly, the outline of Hashiaku's lithe but solid figure focused in from of him.  
  
/I hate you/  
  
"I know. Why waste time thinking about it?"  
  
/get out of my head, you son of a bitch/  
  
"She was that. Oh, fine. Mean little slave, you never let me have any fun." He remained silent and curled up, trying to seem indifferent. "Oh, don't be such a spoilsport, Kureru! I'll send Moto down with some food. Then we'll talk, hm?"  
  
/donttalkdonttalkdonttalk/  
  
"Silly creature. You know you'll say whatever words I think should be in your mouth."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"OW!!" Inuyasha glared.  
  
"So you really can't move?" Miroku asked curiously.  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Not so," said Kaede. "He's just temporarily paralyzed from the waist down."  
  
There was a pause followed by a discreet cough. Inuyasha turned scarlet. " I think so anyway," Kaede finished, selectively oblivious.  
  
"You mean you don't know if it's temporary?! I am NOT going to stay on this stupid floor in this stupid village for the rest of my life!"  
  
"Of course not," said Kaede. She was no more reassuring than her smile was dazzling. "We are fairly certain that it is because of Hashiaku's aura that you've been rendered helpless." Inuyasha growled. "That kind of thing will almost always run its course and be on its way. Most likely, you will either recover or die."  
  
"Die?! From this? Feh!"  
  
"Inuyasha, settle down. The more you rest, the easier it will be for you to recover. You can't kill Hashiaku or help Kureru in this condition." As little as he liked it, she had him there.  
  
"Fine. But don't expect me to be happy about it."  
  
"We never do," said Kagome with a hinted smile.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You couldn't break Shippou, you won't break me." Hashiaku chuckled.  
  
"Don't be childish. You're already broken," he said. "Now, really, if you hadn't been so foolish as to be disloyal to me, I wouldn't have to punish you. You brought it on yourself; if you don't know the rules after six years, I don't know what will teach you. Well, besides this." He moved away to inspect his work. There was no chance that Kureru would be going anywhere for some time, even with the effects of his disembodiment just wearing off.  
  
"They'll take you at your word, you know. You told them that you'd meet again, and they'll make sure the time of the battle is their choice. They'll win, Hashiaku. You won't be able to hurt anymore innocent people."  
  
"You being among the 'innocents', I presume."  
  
"Then you presume wrong!" Kureru snapped. "I know what I am."  
  
"And what is that?" murmured Hashiaku. "A worthless piece of half- breed trash?"  
  
"There's no reason others should pay for it."  
  
"You started their payment with the death of that boy," Hashiaku scoffed. "It's your own fault if anyone is hurt by your claw."  
  
"I know."  
  
"There, you see?" exclaimed the youkai. "You have been broken for a long time now. Therefore, I can not be trying to break you. I am simply teaching you." Kureru didn't reply.  
  
"Ah, well," Hashiaku sighed. "I suppose your lesson has been learned. Moto!" The girl entered quickly. "Clean this up, and put Kureru in his room." She nodded, and the master of the house stepped soundlessly from the room.  
  
"Kami-sama, Kureru-kun, look what he's done to you," she whispered, wiping blood from the hanyou's face. "You know you shouldn't go against him."  
  
"No," he returned. "I should. You should. It's just not safe." She clucked and shook her head, then pulled him up by both arms.  
  
"I can't walk, Moto-chan."  
  
"Of course you can't," she answered with a snort, and ducking underneath him, picked him up in a careful swoop that was perfected by experience. By the time she had laid him gently on his floor, he was asleep.  
  
"I hope they do come," she muttered. "We can only take so many beatings."  
  
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Author's Notes: So...what do you think of this Moto girl? Is she human or youkai? Is she a yes or a 'kill it off, please'? How long is this story gonna be? I'm actually not sure, but I think only a few more chapters.  
  
Lady Pyro: yeah, I know I beat up on Kureru-kun a lot. But hey. He'll get back at Hashiaku for it, ne?? I actually like Hashiaku, though...  
  
By the penguin, I wanted to apologize for the long spaces between updates. I can only get online once or twice a week, and I don't always remember the disk I need when I can. I'm trying, really, really, trying! ^^  
  
See ya next time. 6.~ 


	11. A Girl in Silence

Changing Wyrds  
  
Chapter 11: A Girl in Silence  
  
Moto stole out of the house, praying that her master wouldn't catch her. She was quietly glad that she flourished under pressure, for the night was dark and her task urgent. Kureru's improvement over the last few days had been hindered by his beating from Hashiaku, and Moto was beginning to worry about him. There was one thing she knew she could do, and being sensible, she had decided to do it.  
  
She crept past the gardens , annoyed that the herb she needed wouldn't be found there. It was a slight worry to her as well that what she needed, were she caught, could get her killed. Hashiaku and his kind didn't care for the weed she sought. It was a fey-bane, that demons without human blood could not be near. It was also one of the most powerful healing herbs known to Moto and her people. It would push Kureru further under for a short time, but then he would be healed miraculously quickly.  
  
She smiled as her sharp eyes caught sight of the plant she sought. She slit it from its stem with a quick swipe of her cooking knife and stashed it in her obi with another plant. The species was solitary; only one or two plants grew together. Moto knew, though, that they weren't too far separated, and sifted through the underbrush until she spotted another. With two of the stems tucked safely away, she turned back towards the master's great house. She could only hope that she wouldn't get caught now. Hashiaku should have been far off hunting, but he was so shifty that you never could be sure of him.  
  
Her quiet steps seemed silent even to her, but the ears of a demon were better tuned than hers, and she sagely chose to take this into account. She avoided all of the lord's common haunts, slipping through the halls as carefully as would a mouse sharing quarters with a cat. Her breaths leaked out of her lungs slowly, and only when they could not be held back. Her heart pounded, but she was more wary than afraid.  
  
She slid open the door of Kureru's room, and let out a relieved sigh when the door was safely shut and the room proved to hide no unpleasant surprises. As she knelt by his side his eyes opened.  
  
"You got it, then?" he decided. She nodded, pulling the leaves from her obi.  
  
"Eat." He took them in a cloth-bound hand, hesitated, and quickly stuffed them in his mouth. He chewed with a grimace, and shuddered when he swallowed.  
  
"Thank you, Moto," he said finally. She smiled.  
  
"It's the least I can do for you, you know," she told him. Leaning over, she dropped a quick kiss on his cheek. He shot her a small smile before slipping into a drugged sleep.  
  
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"Yatta!" cried Kagome. Inuyasha didn't make such enthusiastic noises, but he looked pleased. "Inuyasha, you're up!"  
  
"Obviously, girl!" He tried to sound blunt, but his face betrayed him when a soft smile crept across it.  
  
"Just don't think this means you can go off demon-killing just yet," she warned.  
  
"I'm not always stupid, you know," retorted he.  
  
"No," agreed Kagome gently, "you're not. Oh, Inuyasha, this is so wonderful!" She hugged him. His face colored before he returned her embrace.  
  
"I hope we're not too late," he said suddenly.  
  
"I hope so too." She cringed at the thought of what might have happened in the time they had left Kureru with Hashiaku. As far as she knew, Kureru was the only person staying with the demon, and she was afraid of what kind punishment he would get for his mutiny. Especially if Hashiaku had no one else to turn against.  
  
"So," interupted Kaede, "When shall you be off?" Kagome and Inuyasha blushed in unison and quickly separated themselves.  
  
"Um..." said Kagome.  
  
"Oh, you're up, Inuyasha? That's good news," said Miroku as he approached. If he took notice of the pair's odd hue, he said nothing. Shippou appeared and scurried up to Kagome's shoulder.  
  
"When are we gonna get that jerk?" he asked.  
  
"Good grief, everyone is bloodthirsty today. We're going to wait until Inuyasha up to snuff, and then-" Kagome started.  
  
"I feel fine," declared Inuyasha. "Let's go today."  
  
"But-" she began.  
  
"The longer we wait, the more danger Kureru is in," said Inuyasha.  
  
"I know that! But you couldn't beat Hashiaku when you were in good condition. There's no way you can beat him now!" Kagome felt herself go red for a reason outside embarassment.  
  
"But-"  
  
"What happened to not always being stupid, huh?!" she cried in exasperation. "You just told me that you wouldn't go yet! You're not fully recovered! You can't do this, Inuyasha, you'll get us all killed!" He actually thought before he answered, which stunned everyone.  
  
"Maybe you're right," he said. There was a pause.  
  
"What?" said Kagome.  
  
"I said maybe you're right! Shit, how many times do I have to say it?!" His ears flattened.  
  
"Sorry, Inuyasha," she said. "Just...you don't usually...Oh, never mind. You'll give it a couple more days, then?" He nodded disgustedly.  
  
"Can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered.  
  
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She had been prepared for his condition to worsen, but that didn't mean she liked it. Even worse was that she could only steal away to see to him a few times a day. She was Hashiaku's all-purpose girl, and whenever he wanted something- anything -it was done when he said. Otherwise she would be in no condition to see to Kureru.  
  
There was only one relief to the horror that was their lives. It relieved her, at least. She may have been used for anything and everything the master desired at home, but Kureru had essentially one purpose. It was dangerous and horrible, but it was just that one. He wasn't used the way she was. Not that she brooded over her own plight. She had always been more concerned with those around her, and besides that, sensible. She would move against Hashiaku when the time was right. For now, all she could do was feign meekness and get the advantage of surprise on her side. That she would do by whatever means necessary, and she had already used most of those means.  
  
It had only begun a few hours ago, and in a few hours would pass. He was fevered and uncomfortable, tossing in his sleep. She knew what was happening. The plant was simultaneously fighting his demon blood and healing his human blood. If only this had been his human night. But she knew that was half a month in coming.  
  
"You better pull through this, Kureru," she murmured, laying her hand against his forehead. But then, he couldn't fail to come through for her. After all..."Ai shiteru, ne?" she whispered, a tender smile on her lips.  
  
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Author's Notes: Yay! There's #11 for you. I decided Moto was a keeper. At first I was just gonna make her a mentioned-once-by-name-alone kinda girl, but she came away with an actual character that I really like. So...to add to my disclaimer (or rather, claimer) Moto doesn't belong to Takahashi-san either! Yay! 


	12. Let's Get Together

Changing Wyrds  
  
Chapter 12: Let's Get Together  
  
They were coming close. Somehow, it had only taken them half the time to travel the distance. Urgency, perhaps, and anger, had driven them to their limits. They were silent this time, saving their energy for travel and battle. It was now a full week since their last encounter with Hashiaku, and worry was iching in the back of every mind. Their nerves weren't being soothed by the arrival of sunlight.  
  
"There," whispered Inuyasha. The others turned to him. "It's the bastard's stench. And Kureru's scent too." Kagome eased her bow forwards, silently pulling an arrow from her quiver.  
  
"How close?" she asked. The deadliness in her voice shocked her friends.  
  
"Don't worry. Only a few minutes now," he replied. She nodded.  
  
"Then let's get us a youkai," she said with conviction.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I'm okay," he answered. She hugged him.  
  
"Good. And they will come for you, I know."  
  
"Do you really think so?" he asked.  
  
"Well, yes," replied Moto. "They don't sound the type to give up a battle." Kureru shrugged.  
  
"It's not as though I've done anything to deserve their help," he pointed out.  
  
"No...but sometimes all you need to be is kin," she said. "Whatever have you done for me that I should help you?"  
  
"Now, that's not fair, Moto-chan."  
  
"Oh?" He grinned at her.  
  
"Hey, I know you don't want me to die. You could never find someone as sweet and sensitive as me."  
  
"Hah!" she snorted. "All I'd have to do for that is pick the first beggar to walk through the door."  
  
"Very sly," he said, taking her hand. "If only I didn't know that no one ever comes through this door except for us."  
  
"Yes, well..." she said elusively. "What we really have to worry about is if Hashiaku gets an iching for massacre and sends you out again before they get here."  
  
"What we really have to worry about is him killing them," Kureru corrected. He glanced out the small window, at the slowly rising sun. His ears pricked suddenly.  
  
"They're out there," he said.  
  
"But it's daylight!"  
  
"I know. The idiots. And if I can smell them..." Moto bit her lip.  
  
"You're right," she said. "What we have to worry about is their death."  
  
"Quite the contrary, dear girl. The death you have to worry about is your own," Hashiaku said from behind them. Moto cursed silently. Damned if she would let those years of deception go to waste. Damned if he would steal it from her in a single moment.  
  
"What, Hashiaku-sama?" she tried to stall. "Why would I have to worry? Oh, that! I was talking about-"  
  
"Don't try to fool me now, Moto. You've given yourself away at last. I always wondered about the two of you. Now I just have to ask myself...which of you would scream more watching the other die?" Both Kureru and Moto paled, but kept guarded faces.  
  
"I have a better idea, Hashiaku. You die."  
  
"Inuyasha?" gasped Kureru. "I thought you were still in the garden!"  
  
"Sometimes you've gotta be quick," the elder replied.  
  
"Already you come?" said Hashiaku. "What an annoyance. Still, it's rather amusing to think that you pushed yourself enough to get here, hanyou, for the sake of this wretch."  
  
"I don't have to push myself to walk here. Your poison isn't strong enough to take me," Inuyasha snarled.  
  
"Do you think so? I must say, that's quite an optimistic viewpoint on your part," Hashiaku remarked. "You know, you probably shouldn't make assumptions."  
  
"Shut UP already!" cried Kagome. "Do you know how much you talk?! It's all 'things aren't what you think' and 'let us consider' with you! Do you ever just chill out and have a decent fight?!" Hashiaku considered.  
  
"Point taken," he said.  
  
He always did have speed, Moto reminded herself. Still, it wasn't often that he felt he needed to go to his limits. She quickly saw why: No sooner had the lord's claw swept down towards the girl (who had to be Kagome) than the recently identified Inuyasha was between them, blocking Hashiaku with the largest sword she had ever seen. That wasn't something the average youkai could do with Hashiaku as their opponant. She, more than anyone, knew the merits of hanyou, but that one match speed with her master was still unexpected.  
  
"You obviously missed the point after all, bastard. I'M the one you fight," Inuyasha growled. Hashiaku smiled.  
  
"Then fight. Don't just block." Inuyasha willingly took the bait, swinging at the youkai's stomach. He missed his opponant by a foot.  
  
"What?" he gasped.  
  
"This shall be our last fight, boy," Hashiaku declared. "At the end, either I will be dead or you all will be. So I suggest you fight truly."  
  
"I'll show you truly!" Kagome shouted. An arrow hissed through the air, piercing Hashiaku's arm. The first damage they had ever dealt him. The youkai shook it off, rolling away from Inuyasha's falling sword. Inuyasha swept up Tetsusaiga once again and grazed his enemy's side deeply enough that it bled. But even as he scored, Hashiaku fought back, grabbing his wrists.  
  
"I told you, my poison runs deeper than you think!" Hashiaku's aura flared as he spoke and Inuyasha choked.  
  
"What the hell?!" He pulled out of the demon's grasp. Tetsusaiga was back in his hands in an instant. There was no way he could lose.  
  
"Don't give up, little hanyou! You can do it! You know you can!" encouraged Hashiaku sarcastically. Inuyasha growled and lifted the sword above his head. He wouldn't lose. He-  
  
The youkai flung his weight at Inuyasha's gut, throwing him against the wall. Inuyasha looked amazed.  
  
"How did you...get...?" he realized suddenly that he was short of breath. Was Hashiaku not bluffing, then? Was it true that his enemy's venom dug deeper than he had thought?  
  
"I told you, did I not? I told you, and you didn't listen. I can't rightly be blamed, so that means you must pay the penalty."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
There was one other thing that worried Moto and Kureru, that same thing which was keeping them out of the fray: Hashiaku could still switch bodies. If that happened, there was a small chance that the others would kill Kureru's body (and thus Kureru) to kill Hashiaku, and if they didn't it still would buy the youkai time and strength.  
  
"We have to make certain he can't use you to win," Moto whispered.  
  
"You found it, then?" he said. She nodded, and while the others fought tooth and claw, they edged out of the room towards their quarters near the master's dungeons. They weren't filled now; Hashiaku went through cycles of crammed cells and empty ones, and this was an off-season. Their steps echoed though they moved as quietly as they could. When they reached the room, they stopped. Moto dug around in the corner of the cell-like room, and withdrew a small pouch.  
  
"Meiyoko's Saviour." A plant that would stave off foreign demonic power when eaten. Moto had been looking for it for some time. When she had found the fey-bane, she had been lucky enough to see the other's leaves too.  
  
"Hand it over," he said. She did, along with a bottle of water.  
  
"You'll need it. Trust me."  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ __  
  
Author's Notes: Today's background music was Solas: The Words That Remain. Nearing the end. Nearing, nearing, nearing. I'm trying to finish the story this weekend. One day to go, three chapters written so far. I am hopeful; I think there are probably only going to be about two more. With my muses' recent behaviour, I think it's possible that I'll finish.  
  
Rika: You have faith in us?! @_@  
  
Kye: yes, Ri-chan, I have faith in you.  
  
Marc: Fool.  
  
Kye:...sometimes.  
  
Kat: You should never trust something all the time.  
  
Kye: How reassuring. Hey! Inspiration! I'll do a writeup on my muses next. But first...must...finish...story... 


	13. To the Last Man

Changing Wyrds  
  
Chapter 13: To the Last Man  
  
Kagome planted her third arrow in Hashiaku. He was only just beginning to show signs of wear, and Kagome was running out of arrows. Inuyasha was as quickly running out of steam. For a four against one battle, things weren't going as you would expect. Miroku had tried several times to get close enough to use his air void, but it was too crowded and he was afraid of sucking up the wrong person. Inuyasha was as dangerously reckless as always, and it only made him lose more badly. Shippo couldn't do anything against the youkai. As for Kagome, there was only so much you could do with a bow at short range.  
  
Hashiaku raised his claws for the umpteenth time, slashing down at her and hitting Inuyasha instead.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried.  
  
"I'm fine!" Inuyasha told her distractedly, eyes locked on his opponant.  
  
"Be careful, you idiot! He's not an average youkai; you know that!" she scolded.  
  
"If I didn't know, I would have left you to fend for yourself!" he shot back. Kagome would have answered, but Hashiaku had abandoned them for Miroku. The monk fumbled with the rosary at his hand, and thought better of it.  
  
"Miroku!" shrieked Shippou. There was no way that they could get to him in time. They watched in horror as the talons tore through the air...and struck steel.  
  
"Moto?" gasped Kagome. The girl held a katana in both hands, fighting the full weight of her master. Next to her was Kureru, a graceful looking ono in hand.  
  
"Yes, Kagome-san?" she asked through clenched teeth.  
  
"But where-" Kagome began.  
  
"Not now!" Moto told her. For once Hashiaku wasn't stopping to talk. He was all business, and death was that business. The deaths of all in the room were included, but Moto's in particular he found himself craving. Betrayal by a woman was one thing he couldn't stand, one thing he'd had too much of. He'd wondered so long whether she was pretending, feinting for an advantage later. Now it became obvious, if the conversation she'd held with the hanyou bastard hadn't already convinced him. He took his anger, new and old, and poured it into his fight, wondering how the girl had become so skilled with the sword. He soon pulled out his own sword, a shortish blade that he hadn't needed up till that point.  
  
He was fairly certain that the white-haired hanyou in the corner was insulted that he hadn't used it during their fight. Too bad he still didn't realize, none of them realized, that Hashiaku's poison was not so easily removed. Only his own death could cure a victim-- if they lasted so long. At this point, Inuyasha wasn't worth the muscles it took to grip the hilt.  
  
His swing caught the girl Kagome in the arm. She cried out, and he scowled. Who cared if it was the wrong one? They were all traitorous wretches anyway.  
  
Inuyasha had taken offense for Kagome if not for his pride, for now he rained blows on Hashiaku, who ducked lithely away from many of them. The fool had no idea, really; Hashiaku flared with annoyance and tossed the hanyou aside. He struck the wall with a thwap, and his friends were instantly upon him. Moto stayed where she was, sword pointed directly at his chest. It was easy to ignore strangers when your truest hope was laying a blade to your throat.  
  
"You betray me?" he asked, keeping his voice level. It was something he'd learned to do well enough many years ago. How time would pass when you were not exactly mortal.  
  
The girl, his girl, snarled at him like an angered pup.  
  
"Bastard! I can't betray what I don't care about! The only reason I'm alive at all is to see you dead." Her eyes glittered with carefully aimed fury.  
  
"That's a lie. You may want me dead, but vengeance isn't your only motive for living. You live for Kureru. For that mutt." He was rather impressed with the smooth uncaring of his voice. If such a tone hadn't, through decades of use, become second nature to him, he wasn't sure how he would have sounded.  
  
Kureru didn't care to stay calm. He had been dodging in with unexpected blows the whole time, but what he really wanted was to kill Hashiaku. He took a step forward, and was pulled back by Miroku.  
  
"Let her talk," the monk murmured. Kureru nodded, not quite resignedly.  
  
"Maybe so," Moto said. "But I wouldn't have lived long enough to live for him if it hadn't been for how much I hate you." Her tone wasn't a match for Hashiaku's coolness. It was of rage barely held in check. She was a sly one, and she always had been. That was what he'd liked about her.  
  
"Is that so? In that case, kill me. I suppose if anyone deserves it, you do." She laughed at his words. Laughed. That was something no one did to him. They feared him too greatly to risk his wrath. He knew all at once that he would kill her for all she had done. Not because he hated her, of course. Because vengeance knows no logic. There was no choice.  
  
"I do deserve it," she agreed. The swing of her blade was as fast and bright as lighting. He didn't see it coming at all.  
  
Inuyasha stared as the youkai fell. He could feel the others staring too. That puny little girl in the worn yukata had scored against Hashiaku as none of them had. He wasn't dead yet, but he was down. No one else had gotten that far.  
  
They saw him rise, slow but determined. His face was more a mask than ever. Suddenly, you could tell he was a demon, a real demon. Short and stocky, he still managed an air of grace, even with anger-tensed muscles. Snow-white fangs peered like icicles from under his curled lip. His slits of eyes were as depthlessly black as his hair.  
  
He looked at her, his eyes delving into her own. He had only used her, of course. There was no reason a demon would do anything more than use. But his eyes were as haunting as they were haunted.  
  
/bastard.../  
  
He was manipulating her still. How dared he? After all, there was no way for him to win, no way for her to lose. This was what she had lived for. Even if he killed her now, she would have won by turning on him. No, he couldn't manipulate her now. It was too late for him to do anything.  
  
He struck her, but no sooner did she hit the ground than Kureru blocked him from her. She regained herself while they fought, then took her friend's place. She and Hashiaku were somehow even, although whether it was her strength or his weakness that made them equal she didn't know. Vaguely she realized that they were being watched with horrible fascination from the sidelines.  
  
The moment she won was on her before she realized what had happened. There, in the blur of fighting, so caught up, she couldn't see what her own hand was doing. She had backed Hashiaku into a corner, not noticing that she had done. Her sword flashed with quick movement, blocking his strikes and sending forth her own. Anger drove her, and reflex. Reflex was what made her plunge the sword towards his gut as he raised his own weapon.  
  
He didn't have a chance of blocking it, so he didn't try. He took the stab in its full strength, letting the pain of it snatch him away for a moment before he found himself staring into her eyes. He tried to avert his gaze, and found he couldn't.  
  
"You'd better not apologize," she growled. He smiled, sort of.  
  
"I won't. I did what youkai do. I can't apologize for that."  
  
"I know."  
  
He could have forced out some sort of declaration, of love or of loathing, but it was too late, and the words would have meant nothing. Instead he reached out a claw and gently raised a line of blood on her cheek. Let her puzzle that one out. It would be a lasting testament. An everlasting secret. After all, there would be no one to give her the meaning now.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ __  
  
Author's Notes: This is it! Only the conclusion to go. Hope you're still interested... So, semi-cliff. Like...hill-hanger. Or possibly mound-of-dirt hanger. Oh well. Yeah...I kinda stole Kureru's thunder by sticking Moto in the fray. But I love her character to bits, so I just had to show her off. Plus, Hashiaku was definatly thinking more about her than Kureru, and I wanted to show that. So, there you go.  
  
Later, and love to y'all who've been reading. Keep the peace, sistas + bruddas! 6.~ 


	14. Meetings and Partings

Changing Wyrds  
  
Chapter 14: Meetings and Partings  
  
They looked down, all of them, on Hashiaku's blood-soaked, motionless figure.  
  
"I guess we won," said Shippou.  
  
"We did, that," answered Miroku. "At least, she did." Moto looked up.  
  
"Moto," she said. "I'm Moto. Who are you?"  
  
"Miroku. You handle that sword well, you know."  
  
"I know." Kagome looked from one to the other and decided it might be better if they didn't exchange any more pleasantries just then.  
  
"We should get cleaned up," she said. They did look pretty well beat up, on the whole. Inuyasha was a big soggy mess, as usual. Miroku, Shippou, and Kureru each sported dark bruises. Moto wasn't seriously injured, but had enough minor ills for the whole company. Kagome herself had a growing patch of blood where the sword had bitten into her arm. Until now she had been trying to ignore it, but the dull throb penetrated her entire body, making her nauseous and queasy.  
  
"Yeah," someone agreed. Moto started out the door.  
  
"Hey! Where're you going?" demanded Inuyasha.  
  
"To get cleaned up. Coming or not?" They followed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hoi, Inuyasha, come back here!" ordered Kagome, chasing him around the room with a peroxide-soaked cloth.  
  
"No! That stuff stings!" he retorted.  
  
"But you're hurt!"  
  
"I feel better."  
  
"Yeah right! That's what you always say!"  
  
"I do!" he repeated.  
  
"Actually, that should be true," Moto interjected softly. "Inuyasha was being poisoned; Hashiaku's venom only leaves his victims at his death. He should heal well enough on his own now." Kagome looked sheepish.  
  
"Really?" Inuyasha nodded grouchily.  
  
"Oh." She sat and began to dab her own arm with the cloth. "So, now what are you two going to do?" she asked, changing the subject. Kureru shrugged.  
  
"Not many places I can go, which narrows down the possibilities quite a lot," he said.  
  
"Not many villages like suddenly appearing youngsters at all, dog ears or no," added Moto. "We could probably find something in the middle of nowhere, and farm. That wouldn't bother anyone."  
  
"But you don't want to, right?" said Kagome.  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Then--" she shot a glance at Inuyasha. He was pretending not to listen. "Why don't you come back with us?" Inuyasha sat bolt upright. "They're already used to magic and hanyou and girls with weapons. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."  
  
"Now look here-!" Inuyasha started.  
  
"The village isn't yours, you know," reminded Miroku. Inuyasha glowered.  
  
"Anyway, I don't know why you'd care. Kureru and Moto are perfectly nice people. So what do you think?" Kagome finished, addressing the pair.  
  
"If it isn't a problem..." Kureru sounded doubtful.  
  
"Don't be silly! Kaede loves you! And if Kaede has a good opinion of someone, so does the whole village." Kagome smiled.  
  
"What about me?" asked Moto.  
  
"Kaede also loves a girl who can handle a weapon," said Kagome. "She's one of them, after all. Trust me, she'll like you."  
  
"Then we'll go," said Moto and Kureru simultaneously. Kagome grinned.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So you decided to come back, did you?" said Kaede gruffly. "Good to see you're all more or less in one piece each."  
  
"Why 'one piece each'? Why not just 'one piece'?" whispered Moto.  
  
"There was this thing with a possessed Noh mask...bodies getting glued together. Tell you about it later," answered Kagome. Moto nodded.  
  
"I see you brought Kureru, but who's this?" Kaede continued. Moto took a step forward.  
  
"I'm Moto," she replied. "I also was kept under Hashiaku." Kaede raised her eyebrow.  
  
"For the same purpose?" Moto's face shadowed. "Never mind. I understand. There will be none of that here. Except for the occasional youkai attack and Kagome and Inuyasha's fights, we're a fairly calm village, and we're all good people."  
  
"You must be the only village that can say that," said Moto.  
  
"We're just lucky," answered Kaede.  
  
"Kaede-san, Kureru and Moto want to know if they can live here. It will be hard for them to find another village where hanyou are commonplace," explained Kagome.  
  
"Of course you are welcome," Kaede addressed the two."You will sleep in my home tonight, and tomorrow we will see to your futures. Moto, child: now you are lucky, too."  
  
"Thank you, Kaede-san." Kureru and Moto bowed.  
  
"Not a problem. The unusual makes life more interesting, ne?" The old priestess smiled on their glowing faces. These children were certainly unusual, and she would have pulled out the last of her teeth with a fishook rather than turn them away.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Kaede-san?" Kagome's voice drew her attention from the pot.  
  
"Yes, child."  
  
I have a question for you. About Hashiaku." Kagome looked thoughtful as she spoke. "He didn't disappear like youkai of his strength usually do. Do you know why?" Kaede shifted uncomfortably. She had some idea, and it wasn't an idea she liked.  
  
"Well, I have heard of his kind before. The forfeit-taking demons, that is. I don't know if this is true for Hashiaku- it could simply be that they don't dissapate- but I have heard that those under the power of his kind can become his kind after a long service." Kagome stared.  
  
"You mean...he might have been human once?"  
  
"Possibly. From what I've been told, though, slaves change over more often if they're hanyou. Remember, this is mere speculation. I don't know that it is the reason," Kaede said. "Besides, if it is true, he may have been an evil man before he changed."  
  
"Will Kureru change?" asked Kagome.  
  
"No, no. It takes years longer, even if the person is hanyou. At least fifteen, I would think."  
  
"So," said Kagome slowly, "if it did happen to Hashiaku, he would have had to be controlled like that for almost three times as long as Kureru-kun." She shivered. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone, even an evil man." She turned to leave.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What did you do with Hashiaku's body, if it didn't disappear?" Kagome turned her head to look squarely at Kaede.  
  
"We left him where he fell."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A man stood in a small room with sliding doors and battle-torn walls, looking down. He had always said he would live longer, no matter how his pet protested. And now...now it was proven. There was still some small satisfaction in being right, although it would have been better if he could have gloated. But then, what is the use of gloating at the dead? The most you will do is anger Death, and that is never a wise idea. And how would it feel to gloat and be taken by Death in turn? Foolish. An eternity of scorn.  
  
So the man did not gloat, and would not have murmured his glee if he had felt any. He was quiet in his work, and quick. He lifted what had once been a firebrand of a pet, the most unbreakable creature since the moon first rose. Only time had broken him, this shell of what had once been such a brave being, such a fierce spirit. The man was sorry to see the young one gone forever. His kind was doomed to adore and despise the ones they cursed, and it was sometimes more love than hate.  
  
Hashiaku had only managed fifty-six years on his own, years dwarfed next to the man's long life. He had hoped the boy would come back to him. But here he was, bloody and without breath, returned to no more than half a demon. He had always looked better in his birth-given form, the man thought. It was a pity...but no. There would be no sorrow, no wistfulness. There was nothing a demon could do about destiny or death, and one had written the other into the fate of this creature. It was meant to be that he would die, and so he was dead. Beyond that, there was only one thing to do, and the man would do it.  
  
He slid the door shut on his way out, neither knowing nor caring that he would be the last to tread upon these grounds until all traces of the house had vanished beneath the forest.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kureru swiped his arm across his face with a grin.  
  
"Look, Kagome," he ordered.  
  
"I see," she said. And indeed she did. Where there had been none the week before, there stood a cottage, a memorial to the kindness of the entire village. It was full, too: Kureru and Moto had been offered gifts of furniture and goods, and their house now looked almost homelike.  
  
The land in the back where they stood belonged to Kureru and Moto as well. It wasn't much, but it was land. Nothing could have made the two of them look prouder, Kagome thought.  
  
Moto and Kaede appeared.  
  
"Did you plant them?" asked Moto. Kureru nodded.  
  
"Plant what?" said Kagome curiously.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Just like to keep some things on hand. Habit, you know," Moto said. Kaede eyed her in amusement.  
  
"Mysterious, aren't we?" she said wryly. Moto laughed.  
  
"Don't worry, it's nothing bad. They're just not common, that's all."  
  
"What's not common?" Inuyasha stood with them, Miroku and Shippou beside him.  
  
"Aa, Inuyasha!" said Kagome with a smile. Kureru shot her a glance and exchanged one with Moto.  
  
"What's not common?" the hanyou repeated, crossing his arms.  
  
"Some of Moto's plants," Kagome told him.  
  
"That's all?"  
  
"That's all," she agreed.  
  
"Aren't they sweet?" murmured Moto, just loudly enough that everyone could hear. Inuyasha turned red.  
  
"What are you talking about?!"  
  
"You," said Kureru. "And Kagome." Kagome's skin matched Inuyasha's as she blushed hotly.  
  
"We aren't a 'they'," she said haltingly. "We-- I--"  
  
"See, you call yourselves 'we'. So you must be a 'they'."  
  
"But..." Everyone grinned wickedly.  
  
"Don't keep arguing, Kagome-san," said Moto. "It's really better just to admit it and have a good time together." Kagome couldn't answer. She looked sidelong at Inuyasha, and he looked back at her the same way. They both turned crimson.  
  
"It isn't like that!" they said.  
  
"The two of you never will learn, will you?" sighed Kaede.  
  
"They're better than when I met them," said Kureru. "Maybe they should hang around wonderful people like me more often."  
  
"Yeah, so they'd realize how lucky they are they have each other instead," grumbled Moto.  
  
"Cruelty!" he said with mock hurt. He looked at Inuyasha and Kagome, who had begun to quarrel harmlessly as Miroku and Shippou watched. Then he leaned over to Moto. "But I think they realize already."  
  
"It's taken long enough," said Kaede with a snort.  
  
"But you wanted them to figure it out, right?" asked Kureru.  
  
"Oh, yes."  
  
"Then it's not a bad ending, is it?" said Moto.  
  
"No," said Kaede. "I don't believe it is."  
  
~owari~  
  
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A/N: THE END!!!!!!! Finally! I'm sorry I've been so slow. We've been moving, so...yeah. Hoping people will notice this is up. No one reviewed the last chapter. Since this is the last one, I sorta hope they will...yeah. Well, love to everyone who's been reading. Your encouragement is the only reason I didn't give up after the first few chapters. ^^ Special thanks to Lady Pyro, for her advice and many good reiews 


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